Cook County Records 11,000th COVID-19 Death As Cases Surge

CHICAGO — Cook County has crossed the threshold of 11,000 deaths due to COVID-19. The grim pandemic milestone was reported Tuesday evening, more than 16 months after the first fatal case of the virus was confirmed here.

The 10,999th death confirmed by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office was a 31-year-old African American man from Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. The 11,000th death was a 28-year-old Latino man who resided in Little Village.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the 11,000 COVID victims in our community,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “This is a reminder that we are not out of the woods and must continue to take precautions and get vaccinated. No matter your age, no matter how healthy you are, you are susceptible to this virus. It can kill you. And it would most certainly leave devastated family and friends behind.”

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner, just under 7 percent of all the County’s 11,000 COVID-19 deaths were people under the age of 50, but in July that age group made up 18 percent of Cook County’s COVID deaths.

The Black community makes up approximately 29 percent of overall COVID deaths in the county, but in July African Americans accounted for 46 percent of those deaths, officials said. Fewer than 22 percent of COVID deaths during the course of the pandemic were among Cook County’s Latino population, while in July, Latinos made up more than 25 percent of COVID deaths.

“I remain extremely concerned by the COVID trends we are seeing in Cook County,” said Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, chief medical examiner for Cook County. “Eleven thousand deaths is 11,000 too many. Please get vaccinated. You could be saving your life. You could be saving the lives of your loved ones. You will make a difference.”

Since June 26, COVID cases have increased by 30 percent in Cook County, and the positivity rate has jumped from 0.7 percent to 3.18 percent. Illinois has seen an overall 131 percent spike in COVID-19 cases in just the past two weeks. On Tuesday, the seven-day average of cases in Illinois topped 2,000 per day for the first time since May.

“The delta variant is significantly more contagious than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 and is now the predominant variant in the U.S. We are seeing extraordinary increases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. This is extremely concerning to me as an infectious disease doctor,” said Dr. Sharon Welbel, Cook County Health system director of infection control and hospital epidemiology. “Vaccination is the most effective intervention to decrease infection, hospitalization and death from this virus.”

The Cook County Department of Public Health issued updated guidance on July 30, urging residents to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.

“The pandemic is still with us and there is still much work to be done,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, senior medical officer and co-lead of the county health department. “We urge all individuals to mask in public indoor settings and get vaccinated. These strategies will help us end this surge and this pandemic.”

Approximately 53.5 percent of Cook County residents are fully vaccinated. Cook County Health has provided nearly 875,000 vaccine doses since December and continues to offer vaccines at community health centers, in addition to holding events in communities throughout the County every week. The Pfizer vaccine is now available to anyone age 12 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for individuals age 18 and older.

“The Yale School of Public Health estimates that vaccination has saved more than 279,000 lives and prevented 1.25 million hospitalizations in the U.S. The vaccines work. They are safe. Nearly 192 million Americans have gotten vaccinated,” Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr. said. “If you have been taking a ‘wait and see approach’ to vaccination, I’m happy to tell you that your wait is over. The time is now to get your shot.”

To find a vaccine location in Cook County, visit MyShotCookCounty. For more information about case counts, visit suburban Cook County COVID-19. To get data regarding COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, visit the medical examiner COVID-19 maps.